Community Supported Agriculture

Last summer my husband and I took a trip to visit some family in North Carolina. While we were there Aunt B (who is a healthy food/life loving lady after my own heart) took me to an enormous farmer's market and to her weekly CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) pick up. At this time I had no idea what a CSA was. We pulled into a gravel driveway and parked in front of a small "hole in the wall" building that most likely has had many purposes over the years. Although it was in major need of repairs it was fully functioning as a small grocery store of sorts. You could purchase the essentials; bulk herbs, spices, dry goods such as grains, nuts and dried fruit, eggs, milk in a glass bottle, produce and some other miscellaneous items. An elderly gentleman ran the store. He was also a CSA farmer.  He gave Aunt B a box full of beautiful produce and we were on our way.


I learned the idea behind CSA is that you buy a share in a local farm and in turn get local, seasonal and many times organic "farm to table" produce. Community members pledge to support a local farm by purchasing the shares early on in the season. This allows the farmers to have a lump sum of money up front so they can purchase seeds, green house materials and other needed items for the farm. It also ensures that the farm will have a guaranteed number of customers throughout the season. Each week the share holder goes to the farm and picks up a box of fruits, vegetables, eggs, etc. My pick up is 16-20 weeks depending on the growing season. I am sure the number of pick ups varies from farm to farm. It really is a genius idea. The concept is new to me, but apparently has been popular for over 20 years!


This is what my ONE person CSA fruit, vegetable and egg share looks like. 

Half dozen eggs, green onions, carrots, rhubarb, asparagus, broccoli, red leaf lettuce, kale, strawberries, basil, green beans and spinach. 

And yes, we actually go through all of this in one week! I plan our weekly meals around what is in the box.

If I went to the grocery store and bought the same organic produce I would probably spend $40-50. I figured that through the CSA all of this cost me about 20 bucks!

I think we can all agree that supporting small, local farms and local economy is the right thing to do. However, have you ever thought that buying grocery store produce could be the wrong thing to do? When you purchase produce from a large grocery store you lose the ability to know:


1. Where it came from. Other than the little sticker that tells you its from Mexico you have no idea where it is grown
2. Who the farmer is and if he/she participates in sustainable farming practices
3. If the farm workers are treated/paid fairly, etc.


Did you know that your produce also loses nutritional value when it is purchased from a traditional grocery store? Think about it...if is grown in another country or even another state that fruit or vegetable has to be harvested before it is at has reached its peak ripeness so it can travel across the country or world and arrive at your grocery store without being over-ripe. 


Check out these resources to learn more.


Food Miles: How far Your Food Travels has Serious Consequences 


To find a CSA in your area or to learn more about CSA click here


The moral of the story is to buy truly fresh, local, sustainable produce. It is good for small farms. It is good for the local economy. It is good for YOU!

-Shanny